'The Last Jedi' is one of the best 'Star Wars' movies of all time — here's what critics are saying

The second installment of the sequel trilogy has received wide praise from critics.

It is one of the best-reviewed "Star Wars" films of all time.

The film hits theaters Friday.

" Star Wars: The Last Jedi" finally hits theaters Friday, and the much-anticipated sequel sounds likes it's living up to its hype.

Directed by Rian Johnson, the second installment of the sequel trilogy follows after the events of "The Force Awakens" and features much of the same cast.

Rey (Daisy Ridley) has found the missing Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and can now learn more about her powerful abilities. The late Carrie Fisher returns in her final role as General Leia Organa, John Boyega is back as Finn, and Oscar Isaac is pilot Poe Dameron once again. But among the familiar faces are some new supporting characters, including Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico, Laura Dern's Admiral Holdo, and Benicio Del Toro's DJ.

INSIDER's own Kirsten Acuna said, "It's tough to rank it among other 'Star Wars' movies just yet, but it's safe to say 'The Last Jedi' is one of the best 'Star Wars' movies ever made."

Here's what other critics are saying.

The film stands out on its own.

Rey is honing her powers. Disney/Lucasfilm

Vox: "'The Last Jedi' doesn't just feel like a well-executed 'Star Wars' movie — it feels like a well-executed movie, period, one that keeps its eye on the relationships between characters, and how they communicate with one another, in addition to the bigger picture."

Paste: "'The Last Jedi,' unlike its predecessor, has the freedom to be daring, and perhaps the most thrilling thing about it — and there are many, many thrilling things — is how abundantly it takes advantage of that freedom...'The Last Jedi' challenges the audience, challenges the 'Star Wars' mythos, even challenges the whole damned series itself. It blows the universe up to rebuild it; it is a continuation and a new beginning. And more than anything else, it goes places no 'Star Wars' film has ever dreamed of going."

Business Insider: "That's perhaps the best part of 'The Last Jedi.' Johnson has made something that isn't just a worthy addition to one of the most fan obsessed franchises ever, but is also a powerful standalone story. A rare feat for any sequel."

Hamill nails his return as Luke Skywalker.

Mark Hamill becomes Luke Skywalker once again. Disney/Lucasfilm

INSIDER: "It's Mark Hamill's return as the troubled and haunted Jedi Master Luke Skywalker fans will rejoice over. Hamill's Skywalker is equally funny and cryptic with a secret of his own."

Entertainment Weekly: "Rey is just where we left her — on the remote Jedi temple island of Ahch-To, hounding Luke not only return to action, but also to tutor her in the ways of the Force the way Yoda once taught him on Degobah. This last strand...has the most pay off by far. Not just because the push-pull, master-apprentice dynamic between Ridley and Hamill is so crackling it nearly sets off sparks, but because we know that this is the crux of the story. That this is where the torch (or lightsaber) will be passed."

Business Insider: "Hamill''s return as Skywalker does not disappoint, either. The master Jedi has tried to block himself entirely from the legendary life he once lived, and the tipping point was Skywalker's failure to train Ren (aka Ben Solo). This is explained to Rey by both Skywalker and Ren, with Johnson cleverly using a "Rashomon"-like storytelling style to do it."

The film is full of surprises.

Paste: "The movie is bookended by truly astonishing battle sequences, scenes that hearken back to scenes we've seen before but keep upending our expectations. Johnson makes sure to keep you on your toes but doesn't forget to knock you off them."

Forbes: "I'll merely say that there are plenty of exciting incidents and reveals. And Rian Johnson's screenplay is less concerned about 'Oh my god, plot twist!!' than it is with offering interesting and thoughtful story turns and character development...And, perhaps most exciting for fans, the film ends in a way that leaves very little concrete notions about how this portion of the saga will end."

INSIDER: "If you think you have 'TLJ' figured out, you'll be sorely mistaken. There are several moments throughout the film where you'll be sitting in your seat, your heart in your chest, completely unsure of what will happen next, and maybe that's why Lucasfilm invited him back to direct his own standalone trilogy."

It isn't afraid of being both fun and serious.

Kelly Marie Tran and John Boyega had fun behind-the-scenes. Disney/Lucasfilm

Vox: "Thanks to Johnson's impish sense of humor, the film is littered with jokes — some of the best obviously nod to various fan theories that have sprung up in 'The Force Awaken's' wake — as well as allusions to other films and a truly wonderful menagerie of fauna ranging far beyond the already-beloved puffin-like porgs, all of which brings warmth and humor to a story that is, at its core, very serious."

Forbes: "First, this movie is about the fog of war and impossible choices of fighting an overwhelming evil. Second, this movie will blend its peril and desperation with cheerfully silly humor that never gets in the way of the drama or dilutes the stakes. The tone is firmly 'laugh so as not to cry.'"

Washington Post: "There's no way for the latest trilogy of 'Star Wars' films to capture the novelty and sheer exhilaration of the original films, but Johnson and producer J.J. Abrams understand the spirit and emotion of the thing. When the feelings come in 'The Last Jedi,' and they do come, they're deep and they're real. Go ahead and try to watch the penultimate scene without crying, or pretending not to. And may the Force be with you."